Groupon Acquires Last-Minute Travel App Blink

Groupon today announced the acquisition of last-minute travel app Blink, a leading European destination for great deals on highly curated, same-day hotel bookings, bolstering its rapidly growing Groupon Getaways travel business.

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Groupon today announced the acquisition of last-minute travel app Blink, a leading European destination for great deals on highly curated, same-day hotel bookings, bolstering its rapidly growing Groupon Getaways travel business. The Madrid-based Blink works with more than 2,000 hotel partners in eight European countries. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

"We are very excited to welcome the Blink team to the Groupon family," said Aaron Cooper, senior vice president of Groupon Getaways. "The combination of a fantastic mobile app, same-day inventory management for properties and a team that is obsessed with mobile and last-minute travel will help us further expand our travel business as the go-to destination for great deals on great places to stay."

The addition of same-day bookings gives Groupon Getaways another way to serve customers' travel needs, whether it's deals on hotels across the globe, all-inclusive travel packages or full-service tours in popular destinations. Blink's easy-to-use mobile app caters to on-the-go travelers looking for unique hotels in travel hotspots across Europe and complements Groupon's existing European travel offerings.

"Groupon's commitment to expanding its travel business and its focus on delivering a first-rate experience for its customers make this a great fit for Blink," said Blink CEO and founder Rebecca Minguela. "We are looking forward to building more relationships with top hotels around the world and helping customers find unbeatable deals, even when booking at the last minute."

The Blink app will be rebranded "Blink by Groupon" and will operate separately as the team develops an integrated experience that takes advantage of the full breadth of Groupon Getaways global travel offers. Groupon Getaways, launched in 2011, works with hotels and other partners to provide curated travel deals and experiences in 48 countries.